Monthly Archives: July 2017

Jul 17

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Pregnancy can be difficult on a woman’s body, and it’s certainly a time of change. Many experts believe that prenatal yoga can be extremely beneficial, both in helping relieve the stress of pregnancy and also in easing delivery. While pregnancy is not the time to start a new and hard-core practice of yoga, even a beginner can engage in some gentle yoga techniques.

Pregnancy is not just a time of change, but also one of empowerment. It’s a season in which women often feel strong and are committed to taking care of their bodies. The knowledge that everything she does completely impacts another person can give a woman the strength and impetus to take control of her life and get as healthy as possible. Yoga can be a big part of this, as long as you remember a few simple guidelines.

Don’t jump into anything too strenuous. A woman who is new to yoga should stick to prenatal yoga during her pregnancy, and avoid any of the more difficult aspects of practice. In fact, even seasoned practitioners are well-advised to shift to prenatal classes late in the 2nd trimester or early in the 3rd. This will allow them to learn the elements of prenatal yoga which prepare the body for labor but are not included in a regular class.

Avoid heat during all phases of pregnancy. If you’re already involved in a heated practice, it’s imperative that you shift to one that is not.

Skip twists and core work. Anything that stresses the abdomen is not a good idea during pregnancy. Twists wring and compress the abdomen, and pregnancy is not a time to work on building abs. During the first trimester, you’ll want to avoid hardcore inversions, too, even if you’re already experienced. A good alternative for a pregnant woman is the Supta Baddha Konasana pose.

Focus on the meditation and breathing aspects of yoga. Nadi Shodhana, the channel cleaning breath, is good for calming the mind and settling your energy so that you can be truly present as you practice. Ujjayi pranayama, the victory breath, and Bhrami, or bee breath, are also good for helping you deal with emotional changes, and relaxing your mind. Meditation can help you remain positive, relaxed, and cheerful during your pregnancy.

Overall, yoga practice is a great way to help bring you to a healthy, happy place for your delivery. Under the direction of a trained teacher, proficient in prenatal yoga techniques, you’ll be able to use this discipline to strengthen both body and mind, which will ease your transition into motherhood. At our clinic, we focus on holistic practices that help patients thrive during all seasons of life, focusing on health and wellness. For more information, or a free consultation, call us or visit our website.

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Jul 17

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Chiropractic care is the art and science of adjusting misaligned joints in the spine and other areas of the body, in order to reduce spinal nerve stress. It helps to improve wellness, without drugs or surgery, and can even resolve issues like back pain, neck pain, headaches, extremity pain, poor overall health, and low energy levels. Some might wonder, however, if it’s safe during pregnancy.

The good news is that chiropractic care during pregnancy has no known contraindications. In fact, pregnancy chiropractic can offer many benefits, including less nausea, relief from back, neck and joint pain, a healthier pregnancy, and even improved outcomes for delivery. For women seeking back pain relief during pregnancy, chiropractic offers an efficacy rate of 72%. As long as it’s performed by a practitioner trained in prenatal chiropractic care, chiropractic care can be extremely helpful during pregnancy, especially when you follow a few simple tips.

First, get regular adjustments from a qualified practitioner. As your body shape changes, it’s crucial to maintain a healthy skeletal structure, and chiropractic can assist with that, as well as helping to keep your nervous system functioning correctly.

Do your part to keep your body working well by gently exercising each day. Walking, swimming, and stationary cycling are all good options for exercise during pregnancy. Don’t do any sort of exercise that involves jerky or bouncing movements, and stop if you feel weak, nauseous, or dizzy.

Wear the right shoes. Flat shoes with arch supports are best during pregnancy, because your rapidly increasing body weight, and lax ligaments that support the feet, can make your feet more susceptible to injury.

Protect your lower back. Bend from the knees, not the waist, when you’re picking up anything heavy. When you sleep, lie on your side with a pillow between your knees, in order to take the pressure off of your lower back. You might consider a full length body pillow or a pregnancy wedge.

No matter what your phase of life, natural therapies like chiropractic and massage therapy can be beneficial to your health. At our clinic, we believe in using holistic healing treatments to help keep patients on the path to optimal wellness. To learn more about pregnancy chiropractic, call today for a free consultation.

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Jul 17

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Low back pain is a common problem for most people as they age. With age, a person’s bone and muscle structure loses elasticity and strength which makes it prone to injuries that cause low back pain. However, age is just one of the many probable causes of low back pain. Other reasons include inappropriate posture, excessive weight gain, stress, and degenerative diseases, among others. Treatment for low back pain can be a long procedure depending on the cause but there are several ways a person can get low back pain relief easily and safely. Below are some ideas to relieve low back pain:

Use heating pads to relax back muscles and the spine.

Applying heat therapy for 20-30 minutes on the lower back can soothe pain caused by muscle spasms and fatigue. A regular heating pad applied with a gentle massage on the lower back can provide instant low back pain relief. If no heating pads are available, soaking in a hot bath can also do wonders for low back pain.

Take non-prescription painkillers.

Over-the-counter painkillers can reduce joint pain and swelling. Some of the most popular painkillers for back pain include naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and ketoprofen. However, even if these painkillers are available without prescription, it is advisable to consult a doctor about over-the-counter drugs one can take in case of low back pain.

Practice appropriate posture for specific activities.

Inappropriate posture can put undue strain on your lower back which can cause injuries over time. When standing, keep your hips, shoulder, and ears in a straight line while pulling your stomach in. This position ensures that your weight is evenly distributed so as not to burden your back muscles. If you sit for long hours, using a chair with good back support is essential to maintaining proper posture. It is important to keep your hips a little lower than your knees by propping your feet on a low stool or adjusting the chair’s height.

Rest to soothe back pain.

When one experiences low back pain, it is important to rest. The best way to do this is to lie on the floor with pillows under the knees. This works by easing the weight and pressure off one’s back. While this works as a temporary relief for low back pain, resting this way for a couple of days can help a person recuperate from a hurt or strained back.

Stretch back muscles regularly.

Muscle elasticity and bone flexibility are greatly reduced as one ages or suffers from injuries. As such, even minor activities can trigger low back pain. Although stretching before performing strenuous activities like sports or lifting heavy objects is already standard, it is also important to take regular stretching breaks during everyday activities like driving and sitting to ease the stress from one’s back.

Back pain need not be such a burden if one knows simple and safe techniques to soothe it. But if the pain in one’s back is chronic or prolonged, the best way to deal with it is to consult a doctor for treatment and medication.

Our center offers an innovative treatment which has been very successful with hundreds of patients. Ask our doctors about our Back-Pain Program.

18

Jul 17

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Massage of any kind is relaxing and promotes a feeling of calmness. To many health practitioners, in fact, foot massage has been known to be good for health and well-being. Foot massage is common throughout the east as a healing method. In the east, foot massage is not only practiced on adults but on children as well.

Foot massage or reflexology works in the same manner as acupuncture. Each area of the foot corresponds with another area of the body and by massaging each part of the foot, you may be working on your liver, kidney, colon, stomach, etc. Thus, if you experience constipation, a massage through your feet can help in your bowel movement problems.

Health benefits are not entirely proven, but many claim they work. It is said that reflexology can get rid of toxins, help your circulation, improve body functions and even improve memory. A professional foot reflexologist can even diagnose the health problems that you are facing just by massaging your feet.

Foot massage can be really painful. This is especially if more pressure is applied. Screams of pain from a patient in a foot massage center is not uncommon. However, this should not deter you, if you are considering a foot massage. Just explain to the foot reflexologist about your low tolerance for pain and ask him to adjust the pressure applied.

If nothing else, a foot massage will help melt away the day’s stress. Your feet take the biggest beating throughout the day. They have to get you where you need to go and hold up your entire body weight. People tend to overlook their feet. However, hurting feet may just render a person immobile.

With many new age ideas filtering to the west, foot massage has also become more popular in areas like the United States. It is a natural way of treatment after a long hard day. The health benefits may be disputed but it never hurts to try it out and see what benefits it may hold for you.

Our center offers an innovative treatment which has been very successful with hundreds of patients. Ask our doctors about our Massage Therapy Program.

13

Jul 17

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The possibility of a migraine headache can easily become the worst fear of anyone who has ever suffered from one. These debilitating headaches are believed to be caused by changes in the levels of serotonin in the brain. When the levels are too low, this causes the blood vessels to swell, and this swelling causes quite a bit of pain. The level of serotonin that your brain produces is determined by many different things, including foods, light, estrogen, and blood sugar levels.

Those who suffer from migraine headaches know that the pain can become incredibly intense, literally preventing them from going about their day-to-day lives. Different people experience different levels of pain with their migraines – no two are alike.

Symptoms of a migraine headache may include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, spotty vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, intense throbbing pain in various places on your head, feelings of exhaustion, confusion, being too hot or too cold, having a stiff neck and shoulders, dizziness, or feeling light headed.

Many people also report that movement or being touched increases the pain dramatically. Some people suffer from migraines so often that they know when one is about to start – well before it starts. They may experience fatigue, have mood swings, crave certain foods, or they may even experience increased energy that is not ‘normal’ for them.

There are different types of migraine headaches. Classic Migraines are described as migraines that are signaled by changes in the way one sees. Feelings of depression, irritability, and restlessness may signal these migraines. Common Migraines usually start slowly and lasting much longer than Classic Migraines. Classic Migraines and Common Migraines are the two most common types of migraine headaches.

Migraines can be caused by a variety of things, such as excess light, which causes the brain to produce more serotonin than is needed. Certain foods can cause migraines, and this varies from person to person. Unbalanced estrogen levels are another major cause, and more women than men have migraine headaches. Migraine headaches may last anywhere from a few hours up to three days or more.

For some people, over the counter pain relievers will help ease the pain of a migraine. For others, stronger prescriptions pain reliever is required. Again, treatment should be started at the first sign of a migraine in order to cure it faster. Some prescription medications used to treat severe migraine headaches can be habit forming, so caution should be used.

Other than medication, if you are suffering from a migraine, you should resign to a dark room that is very quiet and lie down. If touch doesn’t bother you, massaging your temples may help. Make sure that you apply pressure to the temples, and you should keep your eyes closed and place a cool damp cloth or cold compress either over your eyes or on your head – or both.

Migraines can be avoided in a variety of ways. For frequent headaches, medication may be prescribed to help avoid migraines. Wearing sunglasses, especially those designed for headache sufferers should also be used in bright light.. If certain foods tend to bring on your migraines, those foods should of course be avoided. You should also make sure that you get plenty of sleep and that you avoid stress.

Again, migraine headaches can be quite debilitating. Prevention of these headaches is important, and anyone who has had one of these types of headaches will do everything they can do to prevent another one from coming on. Prevention, however, doesn’t always work, so again, make sure you start treating your migraine headache at the very first sign that one is coming for faster relief.

Our center offers an innovative treatment which has been very successful with hundreds of patients. Ask our doctors about our Headache and Migraine Program.

11

Jul 17

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Cars are the most visible signs of modernity in an otherwise ancient world. No urban environment would be complete without these four-wheeled machines. Most people see them as a convenience, enabling them to get from point A to point B without having to endure the crowds the rush hours associated with public transportation. However, as cars become more and more available, roads become more and more congested. As the congestion worsens, it is inevitable that car accidents occur and people get hurt. Statistically speaking, car accidents have been occurring with increased frequency over the past decade. The statistics also show that there are a number of injuries that have become common to most car accidents during that period.

Head and neck injuries are listed as being typical to a car accident. The face, in particular, can suffer laceration and cutting from shattered glass or shrapnel generated by the impact. Dental injuries are also possible, particularly for people in the driver’s seat or were close to the point of impact. Mental health problems and head trauma are also possibilities. Concussions are not uncommon among car accident-related injuries. Some people also tend to experience anxiety for some time after the accident, though this is much rarer than physical injuries. The most common mental health concerns related to a car accident would be helping the victims overcome the stress of being involved in the accident, as well as the chance of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The body, however, is much more likely to bear the brunt of the damage caused by a car accident. Injuries to the abdomen and legs can result in chronic pain for prolonged periods after an accident. In some cases, accident survivors have had to endure lower back pain for years since their bodies never fully recovered from the damage. Knee pain and damage to leg muscles like the quadriceps can also occur for those who are involved in relatively minor accidents or were not at the point of impact. Areas that have been cut or injured during the accident may also develop an infection, depending on how quickly the wound or opening was addressed by medical teams.

Broken bones and torn muscles are common among car accident victims, though the likely areas to be affected vary depending on the specifics of the accident. Simple and compound fractures can both be experienced, typically requiring extensive time to repair and recover. In a number of cases, surgery may be needed to undo some of the damage done. Most often, drivers will experience trauma and damage to the legs and possibly the torso. Some injuries may not be obvious at first and can only be treated after the victim has been given a full examination. Removal of some of the shrapnel from impact may also require surgery if it enters too deeply into the body.

There are some psychological disorders that can come about from being involved in a car accident. The most common to be cited is post-traumatic stress disorder, though it is not the only one. Anxiety is also a possible effect of being in a car accident, though it is not considered to be a common occurrence.

06

Jul 17

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Low back pain is one of the oldest occupational health problems in history and one of the most common causes of work-related complaints among adults. Approximately 15 million people visit the doctors each year because of lower back pain. It is estimated that a total of $25 billion is spent every year to treat this form of body ache. For this reason, the back-pain relief and muscle relaxant industries are growing by leaps and bounds.

Low back pain is a muscular and skeletal ailment that afflicts millions of people around the world. People with blue-collar jobs or those who are required to do heavy manual work are more prone to lumbar aches. No wonder, construction workers are often diagnosed with low back pain. If left untreated, this ailment can result to absenteeism and decreased productivity. Worse, it could even be the cause of more serious health problems.

To determine the severity of low back pain, you may use the following parameters to see how “bad” your back is:

Acute Low back pain last less than 6 weeks

Sub-Acute Low back pain between 6 and 12 weeks

Chronic Low back pain persists for more than 12 weeks

The good news is that there are a variety of treatments for back pain. One of the easiest ways to ease the aches is to use a muscle relaxant. Back pain relief is as easy as popping a pill. However, it is important to get your doctor’s advice since medications for back pain are often doctor-prescribed and cannot be bought over the counter.

These are other helpful tips, procedures and strategies on back pain relief that you may want to consider:

Apply a cold pack to the painful area for 5-10 minutes at time

Use an heating pad on the painful area if the pain is still there within a few days

Certainly, back pain relief goes beyond office furniture and medication. The cause of back pain can also be stress at work, family problems, and other distressing situations that may not necessarily due to work or physical exertion. The build-up of everyday stress can make your muscles tighten up and contribute to the slow but painful tension of the back or lumbar muscles. Self-hypnosis, meditation and guided imagery are also being promoted as tools or techniques to reduce the discomforts association with lumbar ailments. Back pain relief options can be expensive, depending on the specific technique prescribed by the therapist.

But surely, regardless of the severity or degree of back pain, it is always best to consult a doctor or healthcare professional. The back pain may be a symptom of other illnesses or health problems.

04

Jul 17

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Twenty-Four million people in the United States alone suffer from migraines. A migraine is typically a throbbing or pulsing headache, often focused on one-side of the head, and associated with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, as well as certain smells. Attacks are typically recurring, and can be less severe as the migraine sufferer ages.

Migraines can occur at any age, but typically begin between the ages of 10 and 40. While some people experience several migraines a month, a select few only have a few migraines throughout their lifetime. Nearly 75% of migraine sufferers are women. Though migraines can happen at any time, some women experience migraines just prior to or during menstruation. These migraines, called menstrual migraines, are related to hormonal changes and often do not occur during pregnancy. Meanwhile, some women only develop migraines for the first time during pregnancy, or even after menopause.

The actual cause of a migraine is unknown. It is believed, however, that the condition results from a series of reactions in the central nervous system, usually caused by changes in the body or in the environment. Migraines often appear to be inherited, as there is often a family history of the condition. These migraine sufferers may inherit the sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in blood vessels and nerves around the brain, which cause pain.

The signs and symptoms of migraine pain are often intense and severe, described by throbbing or pulsating pain that only gets intensified by routine physical activity, coughing, straining, or even moving the head. These headaches can often get so severe that they interfere with the day-to-day activity of a person. Sleeping migraine sufferers can be awakened by the attack, which can also cause a numbing sensation in hands and lips, as well as interfere with eyesight and vision for the duration of the attack. Migraines can be so debilitating – causing sufferers to feel tired and weak even long after the migraine has passed.

Migraines typically begin in a specific area, usually on one side of the head, and can spread and build in intensity over a course of a few hours, then gradually subside. They can last an entire day, or in some extremely severe cases, several days.

The problem with migraine symptoms is that they are as varied as the individual sufferer. The strange sensations, such as tingling or the feeling of numbness, are known as auras, and can start anywhere from ten to thirty minutes before the migraine pain actually sets in.

Migraine treatment is possible. Knowing what triggers your migraines and avoiding them is one of the best ways to avoid a migraine. Treating acute attacks as they appear is crucial.

Our center offers an innovative treatment which has been very successful with hundreds of patients. Ask our doctors about our Headache and Migraine Program.